Cutting machine such as a safety razor



Dec. 27, 1938. L. WIMBERGER CUTTING MACHINE SUCH AS A SAFETY RAZOR VIII Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- 2,141,582. CUTTING MACHINE SUCH AS A SAFETY RAZOR Application October 29, 1936, Serial No: 108,255

" In Austria February 15, 1936 .3 Claims.

This invention is for improvements in or,relating to cutting machines such as safety razors. The invention is particularly concerned with cutting machines of the kind having abutting head which comprises a cutting plate and a cutting knife adapted to be moved relatively to each other and to co-operate to effect a cutting op- 'eration, the relative movement between the plate and the knife being effected, generally, by mechanical means or by means of an electroma netic device such as an electric motor.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved razor by which a safe and close shave is ensured. According -to the present invention there is provided a cutting machine (e. g. a razor) of the kind in which the cutting head comprises a cutting plate and a cutting knife adapted to be 'moved relatively to each-,other and to co-operate to effect a cutting operation, wherein the cutting plate and the cutting knife are provided with a plurality of apertures arranged sieve-fashion to 'provide a plurality of cutting elements.

From another point of view the'present invention provides a cutting machine (e. g. a

razor) of the kind in which the cutting head comprises a cutting plate and a cutting knife adapted to be moved relatively to each other and to co-operate to effect a cutting operation, wherein the cutting plate and the cutting knife are provided with a plurality of apertures which receive the article to be cut so that the knife or plate surroundthe article to be cut and during cutting close in on said article from all sides.-

It be appreciated that in contradistinction to known cutting devices of the safety razor type the present invention is characterized by the fact that the cutting plate and the cutting knife are provided with numerous apertures to provide a plurality of cutting elements; Preferably these cutting elements are of symmetrical form, for

example, they may be circular, elliptical,. oval,.

hitherto kndwn, the invention provides that each cutting operation the knives, moving relatively to one another, form continually altered pointed angles whereby the cutting openings are converted into two-cornered openings of continually diminishing size. By this means, there is 5 ensured a particularly safe and skin-smooth cutting of the hairs entering into the openings. 4

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows by way of example embodiments of a safe- 10 ty razor constructed in accordance with the present invention. On the drawing:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view on the line II of Fmure 2 of one embodiment of the cuttinghead of a safety razor according to the present invention, I

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line IIII of Figure 3 is a plan view of the embodimen shown in Figure 1, v

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view on an enlarged scale showing the principle on which the razor operates,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified construction of a cutting plate according to the invention and Figures 6 and 7 are plan and cross section respectively of a further embodiment of the invention.

In the construction according to Figures 1 to 3 80 the cutting apertures or openings I in the centre part of the cutting plate I and in the cutting knife 2 are of circular shape, and they are preferably arranged in staggered relationship to each other. The side parts 5, 6 of the cutting plate I are bent so as to give the plate a U-like shape. In order to extend the application of the shear or cutting head to the cutting of longer hairs, the'longitudinal edges 9 of the knife in this example, and

of the cutting plate i are provided with trans- 40 I verse tooth-like slots 8. These work as preliminary cutters while the flne cutting of the bristles formed by the preliminary cutter is effected by the cutting apertures I.

In addition to the advantages already mentioned, further advantages are gained by the arrangement of a large number of the cutting openings I in accordance with the invention. For example, the bristles standing at a slant to the surface of the skin, which, in the case of the long slots hitherto customary could relatively easily miss being out, are simultaneously caught up in many places on the surface of the skin so that each single bristle is surrounded by a cutter with very little slant. Quicker operation is thereby I6 i shaped cutting openings I lying one on top of the made possible. In contradistinction to the long slots, the construction of the knife portion according to theinvention causes a much greater resistance to bending when the cutting plate and also the cutting knife are pressed on to the skin.

It is therefore possible to make the parts I and 2 thinner than was hitherto possible: In this way the danger of wounding the skin is avoided by the employment ofvery thin sheet because the open ings 1 are surrounded on all sides by much greater surfaces for the skin thanin the case of the small intermediate spaces of the parallel blades hitherto customary, so that the entrance of the skin in the cutting openings does not go beyond what is necessary. This will be clearly seen from the enlarged representation of two circular other (Fig. 4). It will also be seen from this figure, which shows the co-operating openings 1 of'the' cutting plate I and the cutting knife 2 moved relatively to each other, how by the cutting edges crossing one another during the cutting operation, the two-cornered opening is formed and becomes smaller and smaller.

Finally the preparation of the plates 1 and 2 from quite thin material is made possible and in accordance with the invention than simpler with the long. narrow slits. In order'to obtain the necessary stifiness of the knife members which consist of very thin sheet and to bring about the considerable reduction of the surface friction necessary for this construction, the aide parts 3 and 4 of th'knife members are bent together to a triangular form and the ends ll! of the strips are 'stretched'between sliding pieces II and I2. The sides 5 and 6 of the cutting plate I are bent U-fashion, and, in' a manner'known in principle; are fixed to the base plate l3,-for ex a mple,- by means of small bands' I. Between the base plat l3 and the member l6 holding the moving or knife operating device there is inserted a small plate IS. The moving or operating shaft H for the knife 2 is mounted inan aperture in the member l6 and'carries the crank pin I9 which slides in a groove 20 passing across the sliding pieces II and i2. In order to, attain the neces y pressure 'of the knife on the skin, pressure springs, are provided which are set in recesses 23 and 24 in the plate [5 and the slidin pieces II and i2, and passthrough'the large perforations 2| in the base plate I3. Thesprings lie firmly both in the plate I! and also in the sliding pieces-ll d .i'2',"so that with the quick to and from movement of the ,knifesliding friction, is

reducedbythesprInga'InFigm-e'sSto'Iue amass:

shown two constructions in which in place of the preliminary cutting slots 8, peripherally closed openings 25 are provided along the edge 9 and conveniently also in the side parts 5 and 6. In

1. In ahair cutting machine especially a safe-- ty razor of the character described, a handle member, an operating-shaft in said member, a

shearing head mounted on said handle and in- .cluding a stationary cutting plate of very small thickness and a cutting knife plate, means to move said knife plate in a plane parallel to that of stationary plate; said plates each having numerous small cutting apertures whose dimensions are substantially equal in all directions.

2. In a hair cutting machine especially a safety razor of the character described, a shearing head including a cutting plate and a cutting knife adapted to be'moved relatively to each other in parallel planes, saidcutting plate and said cutting knife each having nuinerous small apertures, the apertures of the-plate and the apertures of the knife registering with one another to provide spaces to receive the hair to be cut andthe peripheral edges of which cooperate to shear the hair, said apertures being of a configuration and being arranged so that the cooperating shearing edges at said apertures are nonparallel over substantially the whole length of 'said edges in virtue of which the cooperating edges hve a scissors-like cutting action.

3. In a hair cutting machine especially a safety razor of the character described, a shearing head including afcutting plate and a cutting knife plate adapted to be moved relatively to each other in paralleiplanes, said cutting plate and said cutting knife plate each having numerous small cutting apertures whose dimensions are substantially equal in all directions,- said plates at their respective meeting longitudinal edges 7 'with their respective side members having'registerable openings e. g. short slots also t ed s- LEOPOLD WIMBERGER.

providi I 

